


The Once and Future King

by alexandeer



Category: Arthurian Mythology & Related Fandoms, Harry Potter - J. K. Rowling
Genre: Abused Harry Potter, Abusive Dursley Family (Harry Potter), Albus Dumbledore Bashing, Arthurian, Evil Albus Dumbledore, Flashbacks, Good Draco Malfoy, Good Severus Snape, Good Slytherins, Implied/Referenced Child Abuse, M/M, Manipulative Albus Dumbledore, Memories, Other Additional Tags to Be Added, Past Abuse, Prophecy, Random Updates, Rating May Change, Reincarnation, Relationship does not happen until Harry is of age, Sane Voldemort (Harry Potter), Slight Ron Weasley Bashing, Slytherin Harry Potter, Smart Harry Potter, Tags May Change, Warnings May Change, eventual: - Freeform
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-12-07
Updated: 2018-12-12
Packaged: 2019-09-13 10:26:37
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 3
Words: 2,627
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/16890819
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/alexandeer/pseuds/alexandeer
Summary: As seers and historians long foretold King Arthur returned to Albion (Now known as Great Britain) as did his trusted advisor, notable prankster and talented wizard Merlin and his troubled but beloved son and murderer Mordred.Another prophesy has put Arthur and Merlin (now known as Lord Voldemort and Harry Potter) on different sides of a war with Mordred (now known as Severus Snape) stuck in the middle. They must find their way back to each other or they will find the magical world damaged beyond repair.Can they do it or will they make the same mistakes as they did before? And why does Dumbledore seem so desperate to stop them from succeeding?





	1. Prologue

**Author's Note:**

> I hope everyone likes this. I came up with it when I realised King Arthur and Voldemort had similarities. Both attempted to kill children to protect themselves from someone who was prophesied to kill them. Eventually they were killed by the child they had tried to kill. Death seemed so terrifying to them that they were willing to do anything to stop it which actually led to them dying. Had they ignored the prophecies they might have lived longer.
> 
> So i thought, what if Arthur returns and calls himself Voldemort and makes the same mistakes. Out of fear or because he has been manipulated into believing it is the only option? 
> 
> Anyways I hope everyone enjoys reading this and feel free to leave suggestions etc in the comments.

**31 December 1926**

In an orphanage somewhere in Britain a prophecy came true. For centuries seers and historians had told of the Once and Future King. Arthur had returned to Albion at last and was to lead their land into a golden age. 

The Once King did not know this nor was he aware of how much power he held. He did not know he was Arthur, the King that brought peace to these lands once. He did not know much at all for he had just been born.

The child was cold and lonely, for his mother's soul had left this earth. The matron had placed him in a crib and left him. She was worrying about other things and did not care for the small child. 

His mother’s only gift had been his name, Tom Marvolo Riddle. The young king would not always see it as a gift but nonetheless it was all she had left him with.   
  


**9 January 1960**

Arthur was not the only one whose return had been foretold. Fate had made it so three men got another chance. Arthur, his son and murderer Mordred and his advisor and closest friend Merlin. 

On a cold day in January, Mordred returned. Again he would not know much happiness in his early life. His father was a terribly mean drunk and his mother was a witch, cast out by those she loved the most. 

Mordred did not know he was Arthur's son or famous killer. Nor did he know about the important role he would play in achieving Albion's golden age. He too did not know his true identity just yet. 

Right now he was a baby whose mother was desperate to keep him quiet, lest he anger her miserable husband again. She had called him Severus Tobias Snape.   
  


**31 July 1980**

And so the last of the fated three finally returned to their beloved land. This young baby would know many hardships, too. But right now, despite the war that raged on around them, his parents were there to share their love with the young boy. 

They did not know just how special their little boy was and would be. That he was Merlin and was said to bring peace to these lands.

They had heard of a prophecy, one which they desperately hoped was not true. They wished for long and happy lives, they did not yet know that it could not be.

They had named their son Harry James Potter and they loved him very much. They would not foresee a betrayal as immensely as the one that would come. Fate shook her head at those who had made it come to be.   
  


Fate knew the world was in grave danger for if the three men could not stop these manipulations the golden age would never come. No, should they fail and make the mistakes they once had, a very dark age was coming indeed.


	2. Chapter 1

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The first proper chapter of this story, I hope everyone enjoys it.

**1 September 1991**

Harry stared in bewilderment at the castle in front of him. He had never seen anything this magnificent or wonderful before. It still surprised him his aunt and uncle let him go to Hogwarts, although he thought they were likely just very glad to get rid of him for most of the year. A part of him was absolutely terrified that all of this would turn out to be just a dream. He feared that he would wake up back in his cupboard in the morning and none of it would be real. No magic, no Hogwarts and most definitely no joy. 

They were led into the castle by Hagrid and then into a great dining hall by a stern looking woman. 

Everyone looked up at the ceiling which showed them the outside sky. It was a fantastic display of the stars and the moon which shone brightly upon them. 

He listened to a girl he met on the train recite Hogwarts: A History. He wondered if she would let him borrow it, he hadn't been able to buy it with the little money he had. 

The girl clearly had and had taken the time to memorise the entire book. Harry knew that even if he had been able to buy the tome, he would never have time between all his chores. He had barely read 10 pages of his potions handbook. Something told him it would be important and he wished he had been able to read more, the subject interested him and it reminded him of cooking which was the only chore he enjoyed besides gardening when it was nice outside. 

The professor called out his name and Harry walked towards the funny looking hat on the stool. His hands shook, he hated the way everyone was staring at him. He wished he could just disappear but he knew there was nowhere he could go. He would take people staring at him over the Dursleys any day. 

The hat was placed on his head and startled Harry by talking to him. 

“Don't worry,” The Sorting Hat said, sounding amused, “They can't hear me, I’ll just need to have a quick look inside your head.”

“Hearing voices is not very reassuring,” Harry mumbled. 

“Mhm, yes,” The Hat said, “Slytherin would be a good fit. Or Gryffindor perhaps for one so brave. Ravenclaw for a boy who likes to read. Slytherin, for a boy who is cunning and resourceful.” 

“I just want to feel safe and happy.” Harry sighed sadly. 

“BETTER BE SLYTHERIN!” The Hat called out loudly. 

Harry noticed dejectedly that only the  Slytherin table cheered and clapped. The rest of the houses looked at him in either anger or shock. The teachers looked shocked as well and Harry thought he saw the Headmaster glare at him. He wondered why they had a Slytherin house if all it caused was adults disliking children. 

Not even Hagrid had clapped. Perhaps his first friend hadn't been his friend at all, Harry thought sadly. Ron, who he had met on the train, just glared at him too. 

Harry fought back his tears as he made his way to the Slytherin table. The blond boy he met in Diagon Alley pulled him down next to him and reintroduced himself. 

“Father informed me it was impolite to insult your friend,” The boy said, “A Malfoy must never lower themselves to petty rivalries. It is unbecoming.” He informed Harry, his tone haughty. 

Harry nodded and held out his hand, “Let's start over, my name is Harry Potter.” The boy shook his hand. 

“Draco Malfoy, it's a pleasure to make your acquaintance.” Draco smiled. 

“It's a pleasure.” Harry said and it was. Now that his only other friend had abandoned him, he would much rather have Draco on his side even if he was a bit posh. 

Food appeared in front of him and Harry’s eyes widened. This was even more than his uncle and cousin could eat. He would never be able to eat this much. He made himself a modest plate and devoured the food quickly, scared it would be taken away. 

He noticed their head of house, Severus Snape, paying close attention to him and wondered why. He decided to file away the information until later and took in his surroundings once more. He had soon counted all the possible exits. 

The Feast ended and the new Slytherins were led to their dorms in the Dungeons. The magic of the school amazed Harry. Moving staircases, talking portraits and doors that suddenly appeared. It was truly spectacular. 

Harry was sure Hogwarts would feature heavily in his dreams tonight. He often dreamed of knights and castles and the most glorious quests. He dreamed of dragons, beautiful feasts on round tables and incredibly captivating duels. His dreams were magical and fantastical and for the first time Harry believed they might hold some truth. He really hoped they held truth. 

He listened to the prefects explain the rules of their house and common room. The most important rule and lesson was to put up an united front outside their house. They received so much prejudice from other houses and even certain teachers that it was imperative that they all stuck together. Any issues that arose would need to be dealt with inside the safety of their dorms. 

Then Harry and his classmates officially met their head of house, Professor Severus Snape. The man was fascinating to Harry, he felt like he could listen to the man's deep voice for hours and his eyes held a depth he could not explain. They made him look older and wiser than he could possibly be. It made Harry wonder if he was a vampire or perhaps immortal in another way. 

The man explained a few more things such as their house's studying groups and tutoring system and then asked Harry to meet him in his office. 

For a minute Harry worried the man would inform him all of this was a mistake and that he had to go back to his relatives. Uncle Vernon would be so angry! Surely it would be his worst beating yet...

Still, he pushed back his fear and upon Draco's questioning look informed his tentative friend that he would be okay. He followed the professor to his office, attempting to hide how badly he was shaking. 

“Mr. Potter, are you going to behave this year or are you going to behave like your father?” The teacher asked. 

Harry was not surprised by the hostility in the man’s voice, unlike magic castles that was not new to him. Most people he had known growing up had hated him, either because of his abilities or because of the lies the Dursleys spread about him.

He took a deep breath, “I do not know what my father did to you or in general, sir,” Harry said meekly, “but I do know he died and I intend not to. For years my aunt and uncle told me he was an useless, horrible drunk and that my mother was a tramp. All I learned since was that that was a lie and that there was a man whose name people do not speak. So I am sorry for whatever wrong they caused you, but all I share with them is a last name I don't particularly care about.” He looked down. 

“Very well, Mr Potter.” Professor Snape said, “I suppose I ought to apologise for bringing up… something undoubtedly traumatizing. Adults are very rarely perfect.” 

“It's alright, sir.” Harry said softly, “I already knew adults were not perfect. My aunt and uncle are not… fond of me.” He smiled sadly. 

“The Headmaster informed me you lived as a prince.” Snape said, seeming a little confused. Although his expression betrayed nothing, there was something in his voice that alerted Harry to the fact. 

Harry swallowed and resisted the urge to laugh. 

“Either the Headmaster has no clue what a prince lives like or he has lied to you. I am personally inclined to belief the latter as the only magical person who visited me was Hagrid who had the subtlety of a lion in Buckingham Palace.” Harry said miserably. “He seemed quite upset I was sorted into Slytherin.” 

“I am inclined to belief you, Mr Potter.” Snape said, shaking his head a little, “The Headmaster did seem even more upset than he usually is when someone gets sorted into my house. He made sure to remind me you lived a very fulfilling life so far, several times, but the evidence I have seen does not support this.”

“And what does the evidence support?” Harry asked, his voice barely louder than a whisper. 

“Your relatives lied to you about your parents, proving their hostility. The clothes underneath your uniform are too big and look like they could fall apart from the slightest touch. Though presented with an excessive amount of food, you ate very little. You ate it rapidly as though you were terrified it would be taken away.” Professor Snape stated, “I believe that when you say your relatives are not fond of you, you mean they are abusive towards you but have learned better than to outright say it, lest they hear.” 

Harry gulped, “Please don't make me say it, sir,” He begged, tears rolling down his cheeks, “they will kill me. If they find out you know they will definitely kill me.” 

The professor got down on his knees, “I know, Harry,” He said softly, “It's terrifying, is it not?” 

Harry just nodded. The professor wiped away his tears. No one had ever done that before, usually people just yelled at him to stop whining. Aunt Petunia always wiped away Dudley's tears, fake or real, but told Harry to go to his cupboard before she hit him. 

“I promise you, I’ll be here for you and I will help you. I will keep you safe.” Professor Snape said. 

Harry nodded again, “Thank you, sir.” He said in a soft voice but he did not dare to hope. 

That night he dreamed of the castle and of knights in shining armour and the professor stood by his side, keeping him safe from all harm that could come his way. There was an evil wizard, but it was not the man they said murdered his parents. It was the headmaster wearing bright yellow robes, glaring at Harry like he had at the feast. The man yelled about the Greater Good but all Harry could see was destruction. Though he knew his knight would keep him safe. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Harry is different than he is in the books. Being a victim of abuse myself I felt that he would view the world differently and he would be more concerned by his safety. 
> 
> If Harry were in Gryffindor most of Severus's interactions would be in class, where his first impression was that Harry did not read his book. Now Harry is in Slytherin, Severus would pay more attention and notice things sooner. Harry is good at hiding things but Severus is trained to notice things. Them being in closer proximity would mean Severus has more chances to notice.


	3. Chapter 2

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> We get to know Mordred, Merlin and Severus a little bit in this chapter. Hope you enjoy! 
> 
> Two chapters in one day for this story! I am feeling very inspired the past few days :)

**Fall 1018**

“I destroyed my horcruxes,” Merlin told the weeping man besides him, “I too do not wish to live without Arthur.” 

He pulled Mordred closer to him and reassured the young man. Merlin knew that Fate and the Gods above would right things eventually. One could never stop Fate. 

Fate was set in stone, written in the stars and the most ancient scripts. A man might attempt to change fate and thus ensure what must be will be. 

Merlin knew he would see his love again, his Arthur. His precious, wonderful, King Arthur. For that he had to die. Dying was easy when you had nothing to live for. Dying was easy when you knew it was meant to be. 

 

**3 September 1991**

Severus Snape did not often dream of his father or his father's love. Lately his dreams were filled with their very distant past. He wondered if it meant something, if Merlin would indeed return as he said he would. Who would he be now? 

It was hard to think of his father. Who had betrayed him not once, but twice. First when he killed his beloved aunt Morgana because the people had called for it and then when he killed Lily, his only friend in this life. 

Severus wasn't sure if he could trust the man again nor did he know if he could trust Dumbledore. Mad men and men of war were usually not trustworthy. They both saw you as pawns. 

Severus did not wish to be a pawn. Did something in the stars dictate he had to be or was it a cruel trick of cruel men? He did not know. 

He sighed and finished his coffee. Another day of teaching children who had no desire to be taught. At least that was predictable. 

 

**Fall 1018**

Mordred watched as Merlin took his last breath and cried. He cried and cried until he could no longer cry. He buried his old friend, his almost father and his mentor. He hated himself for all that he had become and wished to undo his wrongs. Merlin had promised he would one day, Mordred hoped that it was true. If not he was truly utterly doomed. 


End file.
